Method and apparatus for making pastry



July 8, 1930. A. H. HOOD METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING PASTRY Filed Oct. 25. 1926 INVENTOR. filer/me .7? 1 2900 ATTORNEY.

Patented July 8, 1930 ABTI-IUB H. HOOD, F HIGHAND PARK, MICHIGAN METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING PASTRY Application filed. October 25, 1926. Serial N0. 143,883.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for making pastry, and it is concerned more particularly with the making of articles which have a filler of jelly, or cream,

or the like.

Articles of pastry of the type mentioned are usually bakedor fried prior to the filling, and are either in the form of a shell, or have an interior of a very light texture, and the filling is then put within the shell or into the body of light texture. Various ways have been proposed for accomplishing this, among which may be mentioned the hand operated gun, or injector. This consists of a barrel and a piston with means for supplying the filler to the barrel, and a spout or nozzle on the barrel. The article to be filled is placed on the nozzle and the piston worked by hand.

This is an inefficient, time-consuming method. The use of a more complicated mechanism has been proposed wherein avalve mechanism is employed, and which is designed to provide a given-quantity of filler for each pastry article. This valve mechanism, however, is not under the immediate control of an operator, andit. has been found that 'the articles were not uniformly filled, some of the articles having little or no filler in them, with the result that they were refused by the trade. The fact that the filler, whichiis usually a elly, or cream, is somewhat thick, may be assigned as one of the reasons forthis inaccurate and objectionable operation of the valve mechanism. Moreover, even those articles which are supposed to be the same, vary in size and capacity for filler, and the herea tofore proposed mechanism and methods have not been able to meet this variation.

According to the present invention a supply of filler is provided. This filler maybe in atank or conduit which is provided with an outlet for filling the pastry article. This novel outlet includes a nozzle, or spout. of suitable formation for fillingthe pastry when thesame is placed thereover. Valve mechanism is also provided for regulating the flow of the filler, and the arrangement is such that when the article of pastry is placed over the nozzle the valve is opened so as to permit the filler to flow into the article and fill the same.

Then the filled article is removed from the nozzle this valve is caused to close,

and by this arrangement each article may be filled with just the correct amount of material.

An advantageous form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings where in Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the arrangement showing, generally, the position of the article filling device in relation to a work table. I

Fig.2 is an enlarged sectional view taken through thefiller deviceQ I Referring to the drawings, a suitable con tainer or vat 1 is provided for containing the filler. The vat may be provided with a removable cover 2, containing a pipeconnection for connection with a conduit 3 which supplies air under pressure from the tank 4:. Any suitable compressing means may be pro vided for compressing the air, v

V The tank liis pr fer ably suspended over, or it may rest upon a work table 6, and the lower end thereof is provided with a conduit 7 having a valve 8. The end of the conduit 7 is provided with a filling device 10.

This filler-device includes a tubular member 11 (Fig. 2) secured to the conduit 7 pref-' erably by screw threads. 'The interior'of the member 11' is reduced to provide an annular seat 12 for ajball valve l3.. Below the ball valve the member 11 takes the form of a nozzle or spout 14:," adapted to project into the pastry article. This nozzle has an outlet l5 which communicates with aslot 1 6 through whichthe'filler flows. t

Fittingaround the member 11 is a member 20 having an enlarged disk-like portion 21. The two members are held together by means of a pin 22. The member 20 is slidable upon the member-21, and for this purpose the member 11 is provided with slots 23 through which the pin 22 extends. A; coil spring 24 may be provided between the end of the conduit 7 andthe member 20, and this spring normally holds the member 20 downwardly in the position shown. The ball valve .13 tends to retain its seat by reason of the pressure of the filler, but in order to prevent the ball from falling out of place whenthe filler device is removed from the conduit 7 a snap device. Only one filling nected to the filler vat, but it is within the v spring 25 may be inserted within the member 11.

It will be observed that the pin 22 is positioned immediately below the ball valve 18.

It will also be observed that if the member 20' is moved upwardly against the compression spring 2%, the pin 22 engages the ball 13 and raises it from its seat. The raised position of the several parts is shown in the dotted lines of Fig. 2.

In the operation of the device the vat 1 will be filled with the desired filler. The cover 2 is then secured in place and compressed air is supplied from the tank. The pressure of the air may be varied according to the requirements, a thick or sticky filling requiring more pressure than a thinner filler. The valve 8 may then be opened and the filler is forced down through the conduit 7 until it is stopped by the ball valve 13. The valve 8 is of no particular importance in the operation of the device as it is only provided as a safety measure, so to speak, so that flow of the filler may be cut off at that point if the same should be J desired for any reason.

The operator now grasps an article such as a cream puff, or a jelly doughnut, and places the sameover the spout 14, in the manner indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. In doing this the operator causes the article to engage the disk 21 and raise the same, thereby opening the ball valve and permitting the filler to flow past the same and into the article. As the operator holds the article in his hand, he can tell when the same has just the correct amount of filler therein, at Which time the article is removed and the ball valve closes. It will be understood, of course, that those skilled in'the art are capable of doing this. Instead of causing the article itself to engage the disk 21, the operatorma more or less deftly cause a raising of the isk by his fingers. Difi'erent operators may accomplish the same result in slightly different ways.

It will be observed that by the use of this apparatus, and following the method, that each and every articleis filled with just the right amount of material. Should, for any reason, the flow of the filler around the valve be somewhat retarded, as for example by the unevenness in the viscosity of the filler, the operator may hold the article against the disk. for a slightly longer period oft-ime, or until it was properly filled; Likewise, if the flow of the filler is unusually fast, the time can be reduced.

Usually a skilled operator Will employ at least twoof such devices using both hands in placing the pastry articles against the filling device is shown conspirit of this invention to use a plurality of these devices with a filler vat. Also, where production is large, a battery of filler devices or the like, comprising in combination a supply tank for the filler, a conduit leading from the tank, a needle like nozzle connected to the conduit adapted to penetrate an article of pastry for the flow of filler into the article, a valve seat adjacent the nozzle, a valve for resting upon the seat to stop the flow of filler through the nozzle, and means including an operable part positioned outside the nozzle for lifting the valve from its seat when an article is placed under the nozzle, said oper able part being positioned so as to be engaged and operated by the fingers of an operator as an article is held in the hand and placed over the nozzle.

2. The method of filling an article of pastry with a filler, which comprises manually holding the article, flowing the filler into the interior of the article substantially continuously from a supply known to be in excess of the capacity of the article until such time as the article is sufficiently filled as determined by the feel of the article to the holder thereof, and then stopping the flow of filler into the article. i

3. The method of filling an article of pastry with a filler, which comprises manually holding the article, flowing the filler into the interior of the article from a supply known to be in excess of the capacity of the article, continuing the flow offiller into the article until it is filled irrespective of the capacity of the particular article, and stopping the flow of filler into the article when the same is sufficiently filled as determined by the feel of the article to the holder.

4:. An apparatus for filling pastry articles or" the like, comprising in combination a closed supply tank for the filler, compressed air means in communication with the supply tank for setting up a pressure therein, a filler outlet comprising a nozzle constructed to penetrate an article and through which the filler flows under pressure into the article, a valve in the path of flow of the filler normally closed to prevent flow of filler through the nozzle, valve actuating means positioned exteriorly of the nozzle and adapted to be engaged by and actuated by the hand of an operator when manually placing an article of pastry in position to be penetrated by the nozzle.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

' ARTHUR H. HOOD. 

